Very long bar pulls on upper cabs a "no" now?
ToxDocAR
7 years ago
With the current chaos in my home, I figured it was time to put pulls on my cabinets too. I have always like the long stainless/nickel European bar pulls. I have all drawers on the lower cabinets (where possible), and many tall upper cabinets (10' ceiling).
I am pretty sure I want very long pulls on all the drawers. Just not sure how long I should go with the uppers. I used to think I wanted very long (almost full length), but now I think it might be too much once the whole kitchen is done. So maybe something shorter (14" is the shortest blue tape on cab)?
Are the long pulls considered a "no" now?
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Comments (22)
ToxDocAR
7 years agoRelated Discussions
Upper cab or not on this wall? 3 choices
Comments (26)Joy--the tile like that in the "no cab" option was just a software issue. I wouldn't do that, but doing something that looked right would take some thought. Your idea is interesting. Buehl--yeah, #2 just looks lonely, huh? You made me LOL too! Brianandarnell--I've been starting to feel weighed down by the decisions. Someone else used the term "decision prison" recently (Fori maybe? Marcolo?) and I yelled "that's me!" when I read it. Very good description. Oldhouse--I've always liked the look of a cab sitting on the counter too. I struggled with finding the right granite (loved Bianco Antico), but have settled on some 4cm Carrara for at least part of the counters. I'm back and forth for exactly what to do. Today I'm leaning towards a wood island counter with Carrara perimeters/peninsula. I've decided to focus on one issue at a time instead of getting jumbled up in so many things that need to be decided. Thanks for the encouragement. Flwrs--I like the hutch for those reasons too. Thanks for the vote on the finishes. Isle2isle--I do have a lot of counterspace there, huh? I'm SOOOOO excited! A dark island does make sense, but am wondering about it being trendy. Oh well, you can't NOT be trendy somehow or another. I'm planning on doing my final storage inventory this weekend now that I've decided on the two windows and less uppers on that wall. If I don't have enough storage for dishes and glasses (which I don't think I do), I'll go for the glass front hutch to the counter. Ohhuuuhhh....just thought of another decision. One door on that hutch or two???? Prison bars closing in.... ;)...See Moredistance between upper cabs and base cabs
Comments (23)ni 2006 -- as to your question about whether cabinets come with the light rail: It depends on who is making your cabinets. For many cabinet companies, it is an option. My advise to you is to make sure you resolve that issue as you are designing your kitchen and cabinets, and not afterward, like we did. While we love our finished kitchen, our cabinet maker messed up and didn't account for our undercabinet lighting, which was mentioned in our contract and everything. The electrician installed the lighting like he was supposed to, but we are still fighting with the cabinet maker to install a rail to hide the lighting. We just want a simple inch-and-a-quarter plain rail around the bottom of the cabinets to hide the lights (that's how much they show). We may end up doing it ourselves. Our cabinets are 18 inches above our counter, so an inch and a quarter won't be so much to take away from that, although I would have preferred that it would be that much space after the light rail. It was one of a million details in our house remodel that I didn't pay enough attention to, and now here we are, but I think it's going to be okay. So bottom line is, decide on that now, before it is too late and you are left with few choices. Make sure everyone is on board: cabinet maker/company, electrician, etc....See MoreUpper cabs now too white (haha). Is quick fix ceiling color?
Comments (30)Francoise47 - I know what you mean about the white but at this point I feel like I'm going to leave it be and then when/if I paint again, it'll probably be gray just to keep it all consistent. I just can't find the right place to add white anywhere else - no matter how hard I try to imagine a good place. I think it would look even stranger. I might eventually add something lighter to the ceiling, we'll see. I do love the speakers, thanks! Mitchdesj - thanks - that's probably what I'll do (eventually paint the ceiling white or something lighter). Or, because the upper cabs are near the window, their being gray isn't as dark as that wall of gray is so it'll probably be fine if I go back to gray there eventually - fresh and happy as the white looks. I just keep adding white where I can and that helps (white bowl on island for example). Thanks! Bmorepanic - you nailed it, I think. I'll leave 'em white for a while just cause I'm taking that badly-needed break now that the guys are finally gone, and if I do any more painting in the future it'll most likely be to make the uppers the gray again. It just looks more balanced and consistent and period-appropriate, yada yada. But it doesn't look *bad* for now at all - especially to those who aren't looking at it the way we all do here! ;) Thanks! Liriodendron - wow - thanks for that uplifting, positive juju feedback! :) I'm keeping them white for now and I see what you mean. That's such a nice way of looking at it! I had a huge Easter brunch that we do with our neighbors every year and the little changes resulted in some big compliments that day. Everyone seemed to notice the changes and loved them (not sure if it was adding more white or adding polished nickel hardware or giving our kitchen island a makeover or what but people were so great about the kitchen that day. Loved having the in-ceiling speakers in there too, for the party. SO glad I did that! Thanks again. Athomeinva - thanks for your honest opinion! I had it all white for soooo long (and then had just those lowers gray as you said, for what felt like so long) that I really felt i needed something new. I agree that nothing cheers up that kitchen better than some white but I just can't go back to all that white after how long it took to get where I finally am. I also agree that it would balance things out better that way than this way, hence my original post. There's happy snappy white then there's sultry sophisticated gray and the gray's working fine...but if anything the white that is there is a bit odd now so might go back to gray eventually. When it's all gray, it's interesting how much the white marble, the white sink, the white hood/stove and the white light shades POP though - so that'll be something anyway. I"ve always been a white kitchen girl - I'm right there with you in spirit - but it's just been too many years of having a white kichen, you know? As for the 80's colonial look, I know what you mean sort of but not really...I remember in the 80's a bunch of ridiculous ducks and lots of blue in kitchens but I don't remember this so much. I remember people painted the insides of their cab door panels different colors from the frames. That I remember! What I have going on (and what admittedly is the current trend which I'll probably tire of pretty quickly) is the imitation of woodwork being unpainted, with lighter walls, only it's painted darker, with lighter walls. That's very craftsman (and possibly also victorian, I'm not sure). There was a resurgence I think during the 40's or 50's too, wasn't there? Anyway, blah blah, sorry. I like to hear myself talk. Blech! ;) Thanks! hlove - have always considered a light blue ceiling. Not sure if adding a third color might not be a bit too much for this kitchen though, but I've thought a lot about doing just that and i'll still keep it in mind, thanks! Thanks for understanding the narcissism comment, too! ;) Linelle - thank you! Duly noted! I hear you - it's been a tough transition, having all that darkness. But I'm just too tired by it all to redo that much. Maybe later! That kitchen's pretty dark no matter what. But yeah there's no denying it's a lot darker looking that when it was all white! Jessicaml - thanks - I totally agree about your contrast-throws-us-off comment re. the white cabs being the only white. I think both your thoughts make a lot of sense. Either all gray, or all white except for the lowers which could stay the gray (as I had it)! So for now, I just wait and see how I feel and then at some point in the future I can re-paint either a little, or a lot! Re. the comment about renovation addiction, I agree with you that I don't think I have it like some people have it. I deal with the kitchen for a while, then let it go cause I don't have the time or money to deal with it, then I pick it up again every so often...never doing so because I'm fussing over something that can never be right but rather cause it never got done in the first place! E.g. the window was painted with just white primer for the longest time and it's only after I finally painted it that things became clearer re. the whole picture. I just couldn't tell till I got that far. Truth be told, I really like to get things done and then be done with it. This kitchen's been going on forever and a day - it's been pretty ridiculous! But I do like updating in little ways every so often e.g. with new kitchen towels or art or what have you! Anyway, thanks for the reassuring comment (that I'm not losing my marbles - haha)!...See Moreordered hardware-now how to place the pulls? pics & long!
Comments (6)One thing to check before installing the handles. I notice that some of the drawer fronts are fairly short and the frame is fairly thick so the center area is small. It is difficult to tell the scale of the pull picture compared to the drawers, but sometimes when a pull is installed in the panel of a short drawer front, it makes the pull hard to use. You go to use the handle and find your fingers are kind of pinched between the frame of the drawer and the pull. We didn't put pulls on the false fronts above the sink cabinet. I'd be a little concerned about the handle being in the way when working close to the sink. E.g. you are scrubbing a pot in the bottom of the sink and the handle is poking your middle. Sometimes, the false front isn't totally false - it can be a tip out to keep sponges or such in and in that case one might put a handle on it. On the dishwasher, either nothing or matched to the sink cabinet doors next to it. How much do you want it to disappear (look like cabinets rather than a dishwasher)?...See More
Katrina Tate
7 years agoToxDocAR
7 years ago
oldbat2be
7 years agoYour kitchen is lovely and has a serenity to it - glass tile backsplash sounds perfect to add to this feel. Will the long pulls add to this or stand out? I suggest you buy double-sided sticky tape and some of the pulls in varying sizes and put them in place temporarily, taking pictures. Also, do you have any inspiration pictures with the long pulls you are willing to share? I looked through pictures I'd bookmarked and see that I like them very much on plain, slab drawers, like this:
Kitchens · More InfoToxDocAR
7 years agobadgergal
7 years agoYour kitchen looks great even if it's slightly disheveled right now. Anyone of the lengths would look good in your kitchen. Keep in mind that the pulls will not stand out as much as your blue tape does.
My kitchen height is only 8 feet so my uppers doors are about 38" and my lowers doors are about 31". I went with oversize pulls in my kitchen. I used 10" pulls for my uppers and lowers (with the exception of the above the fridge cabinet which has only 15" door so I used a 6" pull there). You can see the two sizes in this picture. Maybe it will help you visualize different sizes on your uppers. I think you are on the right track to use 2 different length on your uppers. I would not use knobs on the lower. I think they would look out of place with the long pulls. Just pick on length for your lower doors. You can vary the sizes on the drawers.
On my lowers, I let the drawer width determine what size pull I used. My 36 inch drawers have 19"pulls and the 24 inch wide drawers have 12"pulls. I have 10" pulls on my 18 inch wide drawers. I have some drawers that are only 13 inches wide and those have the 6" pulls. This drawer bank as three sizes of pulls.
Good luck with your decision.
ToxDocAR
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agomrspete
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agoFrom a function point of view: Super long pulls are practical and elderly-friendly.
From a looks point of view: I only like them on slab cabinets (Old Bat, that's a lovely island you posted). When paired with Shakers (and especially Shakers with glass fronts), I think they're "too much". With Shakers, I like the pull size BadgerGal posted above: Not small, but also not over-sized.
Here's another picture of super long pulls that work -- note that these are slab cabinets:
One last thought: If you go with super-long pulls, you're accepting that you'll choose from a small selection, while your price will be high.
ToxDocAR
7 years agopractigal
7 years agowestsider40
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agowestsider40
7 years agoToxDocAR
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agowestsider40
7 years agobruce2782
7 years ago
lazy_gardens
7 years agoToxDocAR
7 years ago
ravencajun Zone 8b TX
7 years agobruce2782
7 years agoToxDocAR
7 years ago
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ravencajun Zone 8b TX